Golden Skillet Potatoes

Food allergies.What does that mean to you? My own little family has been blessed significantly in that we don’t have any food allergies to speak of among the 7 of us (yet…) and trust me, I am grateful every day for that; however, I have friend upon friend upon friend who deal with food allergies every minute of every day. We’re talking egg allergies, nut allergies, dairy allergies. Wheat allergies, shellfish allergies, soy allergies and many more. Some of these families even deal with multiple allergies and many of them are trying to navigate the public school system and society in general with these allergies (screaming in their pillow along the way, I’m sure). I bow down to each of you. I really do.

If you didn’t know (and I didn’t until my friend Megan alerted me), this week is Food Allergy Awareness Week. Hello! That’s a pretty important week to take note of, don’t you think?

In order to help raise awareness about food allergies, I thought I’d share some of my favorite allergy-friendly food blogs, all of which have amazing recipes whether you are an “allergy family” or not. Here are a few I enjoy and highly recommend:

Gluten Free on a Shoestring (the flourless chocolate cake is to-die for, plus Nicole has some really awesome gluten-free cookbooks and a bread book coming out in the fall)Funny Tummy Cafe (gluten, egg, soy and dairy allergies)Eggless Cooking (I’ve used several cookie/brownie recipes from here when baking for my egg-free friends)Lexie’s Kitchen (gluten, dairy and egg-free)Irresistibly Gluten Free (another gluten-free website with a cookbook that is a wonderful resource for gluten-free eaters)

I know there are many other recipe blogs/online resources for allergy awareness that I’m not aware of so please share any other useful blogs/sites in the comments. I also stumbled across this Top 25 list that looks like a great resource, too. Additionally many mainstream food blogs have categories dedicated to foods without certain ingredients (here on Mel’s Kitchen, I have categories dedicated to egg-free or gluten-free recipes and am hereby committing to do a better job at tagging recipes to help with food allergies!).

Even if you are like me and don’t have to worry about food allergies in your own home, there is good reason to educate ourselves on food allergies in general. It takes all of us to keep children and adults with food allergies safe. Ask questions to those you know who have food allergies. Know what foods are safe and if you know families that have food allergies, start keeping a list of meals that are food-allergy approved in their home. You never know when they might need a “safe” dinner brought to them!

As always, feel free to share any links/resources/advice in the comments about food allergies. I guarantee that most of you are more knowledgeable than I on this subject!

Today’s recipe, I’m happy to report, is egg-free, nut-free, gluten-free and very, very tasty. In fact, this has become our new go-to side dish for all of our recently grilled meals. I was in awe at how my boys devoured these. Not that I could blame them. The tender potatoes are lightly golden and crisp on the edges but velvety and creamy inside with the delicious hint of rosemary and garlic. Super yum. And really exciting to add another side dish that is simple, quick and really delicious to our dinner repertoire. Seriously, make these. They will get you out of any side dish dinner rut you are in. Guaranteed.

You can easily leave out the rosemary/garlic mixture. Just omit that step at the end and serve the potatoes after seasoning with salt and pepper. (But I'm warning you, you'll be missing out on some extreme deliciousness.)

In a large microwave-safe bowl, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Microwave uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring every 1-2 minutes, until the potatoes soften but still hold their shape. It is really important to stir every couple of minutes or the potatoes might not cook evenly and you'll end up with some pieces that are super tender and others that are hard. Drain any excess liquid from the potatoes.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until very hot. Don't add the potatoes until the oil is sizzling. Add the potatoes (cut side down if using red potatoes with the skins on) in a single layer and cook them without stirring for 5-6 minutes until they are golden brown on the first side.

Gently stir the potatoes, rearranging them again into a single layer and flipping so the unbrowned side is down. Cook until the potatoes are golden brown on the second side, another 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Combine 1 teaspoon oil, minced garlic and rosemary. Clear the center of the pan and add the mixture, cooking and mashing the garlic into the pan for about 30 seconds. Take care not to let the garlic burn. Stir the potatoes with the garlic/rosemary mixture. Serve.

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54 Responses to Golden Skillet Potatoes

I’m the same way…so grateful that we don’t have any food allergies! My father-in-law is gluten free, and I’ve found that, as long as I’m cooking from scratch (which I do anyway), it hasn’t been too hard to cook safely for him. I can only imagine, though, how difficult it would be on a daily basis!

One of my favorite gf blogs is http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/. She doesn’t post as often as she did in 2008 when she posted a gf crockpot recipe daily. I have both of her cookbooks and have been really pleased with the deliciousness of her recipes.

And then there are those of us with the more unusual food allergies…I am allergic to mushrooms. Easy enough to handle when at home, but, I am always surprised by how many restaurants decide that they need to add mushrooms to a recipe that never had them. But, I have it easy compared to a good friend who is allergic to chocolate, onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms. I mean talk about having a real problem going out-to-dinner. She generally has to call ahead to discuss her allergies with the restaurant. Most will try to accommodate her, but a few, nope, just take your chances lady.

Thank you so much for posting this. I often talk about how I wish people were more aware of allergies, simply because it makes the world safer for those of us who do have them. And I love the different sites you linked up! Please feel free to add mine to the list, too – I have egg and nut allergies, but many of my recipes are gluten and/or dairy free too.

Thank you, Mel! We have 3 gluten-free girls at our house. We also avoid soy, nuts, shellfish, most dairy, oranges, and canola/vegetable oils. It feels pretty normal at home and we enjoy MANY of your recipes (slightly adapted for our needs), along with some recipes from the other sites you listed. With the exception of your fabulous yeast breads, most of your recipes are easily adapted because you use “real food” a.k.a. whole foods. Pudding mixes and cans of this or that are not “real food” at my house. :o)

But I agree with the others: eating out is a challenge! (Unless we’re at Disneyland! They were amazing to accommodate our allergies and our food was so delicious that my gluten-eating boys were a little jealous!!)

Thank you for the posting websites for allergy free cooking/baking. I was just searching for egg-free cookie recipes to send to my sons class for his birthday and this post shows up on my Facebook. I was sent your blog by a friend and am having a lot of fun trying your recipes with great success.

My nephew has egg, peanuts, soy, and mustard allergies. Just to add another allergy blog to refer to, my sister has a fun food blog that she does called eggfreebakery.com. I have been amazed at how many recipes my sister has been able to adapt and make “safe” for her son! It can be a challenge, but definitely can be done!

I am one of the many people that have an allergy to citric acid. It is a preservative used in many foods so reading labels has become the norm at my home. Citric acid actually is not from citrus fruit but from a mold. http://foodallergies.about.com/od/Other-Food-Allergies/a/Citric-Acid-Allergy.htm I really wish that more restaurants would list the ingredients used in their meals so that I could enjoy more of a variety of meals instead of sticking with the one I already tried and didn’t have a reaction to.

We have dairy, egg and soy allergies here. Thankfully nothing life-threatening, but still a pain for little kids in school where every treat contains dairy of some kind (my son has to skip almost every single birthday treat or pizza party or candy bar rewards or ice cream party, etc.).

For our allergy, we have the “luxury” of going vegan – so all of the vegan websites and recipes work for us (no dairy, no eggs), as long as we watch for soy (which we can get away with eating in small amounts).

Most of the “Paleo” diet web sites and blogs will qualify for gluten-free, and a lot of them have started marking recipes for other allergies as well (thank you!!!).

I’ve got a couple recipes that we’ve tried and posted to my site that are dairy-free, and I try to add more when I can (warning: I can’t take photos to save my life, so the pics will be TERRIBLE), but if it will help, I’m happy to post more. I’ve got several dairy-free cookbooks and vegan cookbooks that I’m going to be going through and testing recipes from.http://cimarronfoodstorage.blogspot.com/search/label/Dairy-free

Great timing on the potatoes! My husband just asked about making skillet potatoes the other day, but since I didn’t know about microwaving them first, I have always thought it was too tricky to get the potatoes to cook through and be golden on the outside. Thanks for making this seem manageable! He will be pleasantly surprised when I make these!

These potatoes are also milk-free! So easy and tasty, not to mention healthy! Thank you for sharing this, and for helping show that eliminating common food allergens doesn’t mean eliminating taste. It’s hard adjusting to life with food allergies, but eventually you find your “new normal” and establish new routines, new recipes, etc. Having a community around you that helps and supports you makes all the difference in a difficult time, so thank you so much for being part of our community. I appreciate you letting us share additional resources here: I write a weekly blog on living with food allergies at http://www.FoodAllergyFeast.blogspot.com. Thanks again for raising awareness this week!

Yeah! Thanks so much for the allergy awareness! I have loved your sight over the years and just found out about 10 months ago that I have celiacs disease and a few other food allergies- I am off gluten, refined sugar, all grains (including corn), starches, and dairy and thought I was going to die! (its getting a bit easier) I would love if you would post a gluten free dish every once in awhile! I miss so many of your delish recipes! (Sadly, I can’t have white potatoes….but I can sneak in some sweet potatoes.)

Mel,
Thank you so much for this post. I was diagnosed with gluten, soy, and egg allergies earlier this year and it has been such a struggle! I had found a few gluten-free sites, but they were not very user friendly. After checking out the ones you have listed, I am super excited because the recipes are things my family will actually eat with me. I love your recipes too and try to just adapt them as often as I can. Again, thank you so much!

Such a simple, delicious recipe for food allergy sufferers. Thankfully, we have no allergies in this house either besides mine to lobster…not a problem since we don’t exactly serve it often! Thanks for sharing, Mel.

Like Joan above,,I’ve got the unusual allergies. Potatoes, tomatoes, celery–can you imagine anyone being allergic to celery?–along with many others! My daughter developed a life threatening allergy to peanuts when she was 21 years old–never a problem before! My best advice is if you’re inviting someone over,,ask, ask, and ask again. It’s a nuisance at best, and a major PITA trying to eat out, but we’ve found some terrific restaurants who will go out of their way. Thanks for posting this Mel!

Thank you, Mel! It is hard living with food allergies- but it is made easier when you have friends who go out of their way to be understanding of your child and try to be inclusive. One site I would like to recommend is sugarcrafter.net She has a peanut allergy, so all her recipes are peanut-free.

My two sons have food allergies. My oldest it was peanuts and soy, which LUCKILY he grew out of by the time he was a teen. My youngest has severe allergies to tree nuts (almonds and walnuts especially). What bothers me — what I need to have patience with — are those without allergies that assume he’s only allergic to peanuts. Nuts are not only peanuts! One woman actually offered almond butter to him “since he can’t have peanut butter”. That would have killed him!!!! He’s only 7 but learning to say “no thank you” to everything offered, because you never know for sure.

My advice to those without allergies is to not feel badly if we don’t eat your cooking, even if you ask a million questions and try to accommodate. Sometimes (most times) it’s impossible for us to know for sure if the foods are safe, and best if we just say “thanks but no” and eat at home.

It’s amazing how common food allergies are becoming! My boy has a life threatening peanut allergy, egg, soy, tree nuts, mustard (who knew?) and we have to limit/avoid tomatoes and all legumes. It can be a challenge! (I definitely have those scream-into-my-pillow-at-night moments) Basically I just make everything from scratch and pack “safe” food everywhere. I’m so grateful for your blog and a few others I follow that have taught me “how to cook” and offer excellent tried and true recipes. I just started a blog about a year ago (http://eggfreebakery.blogspot.com/) featuring recipes I’ve adapted for our family [my sister gave a plug for me in a previous comment :)] I’ve been able to adapt alot of your recipe to be egg free and it is always very exciting.

Thanks for raising awareness. My husband is allergic to potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, peas, cucumbers, melons, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, lentils and tuna. It is challenging to say the least. Our biggest problem is potato flour. Just recently we were at a MLB game, and he was going to get a burger. I saw a sign that mentioned potato buns. I asked, and all their buns had potato flour. You have to be so cautious. I love looking at the recipes on here, and some of them, my husband can eat. We love the pork chops with apples and onions. So easy and delish.

I have a food allergy ad it is an unusual one. Only very rarely it is discussed on any forum involving food allergies. I am highly allergic to corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, corn sweeteners, and corn sugars. Any one who is allergic at all to ay sort of food would be aware that nearly very prepared food has a high probability that it will contain this food allergy for me. I have not had a life threatening reaction yet but I become very sick. So when there is a pot luck somewhere, I need to bring a variety of dishes to ensure I will have things I can eat.

My sister and her daughter both have Celiac and can eat no gluten. My nephew (my sister’s son) is allergic to corn – almost from the beginning of his life. When he was a baby he could not tolerate milk, eggs, peanut butter, or corn! When we are together as a family, food prep can be interesting. Some ingredients that she can eat I cannot eat.

I wish recipe writers would give alternate ingredients when corn syrup is used.

I make potatoes like this all the time! Instead of the microwave though, I just go straight to the skillet after cutting the potatoes. It cooks in around 20 minutes and is crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and delicious. I usually just use different spices and onions in mine but I may have to give rosemary a try next time.

I have to admit (even though you didn’t really ask) that my huge pet peeve is going to family members homes and they can’t even keep the nuts in the cupboard. My daughter is extremely allergic to both tree nuts and peanuts. (We won the lottery with that one. The allergist told us that it is very rare for someone to be allergic to both tree nuts and peanuts. Lucky us!!!) They constantly have nuts out to eat, and put almond extract in all of their desserts. This is fine. It is their own home. But I would like them to respect when they know that my 5 year old daughter is going to be there, to think about what she needs. There would be hell to pay with some of these family members if the roles were reversed and I didn’t accomodate to their child. Anyway, I am venting. Thank you for making me aware that this week is Allergy Awareness Week. I didn’t even know.

PS. We went to the allergist yesterday and they gave us a packet. It said that nut allergies in kids doubled (!!!) in just 5 years!

I nor any of my immediate family members have severe food allergies but we do try to avoid eating too much of certain ingredients. I can only imagine how tough it would be to cater to a hungry family where avoiding certain foods were mandatory. You’ve inspired me to go back through my older recipes and tag them better so people that could really benefit from them can find them! The potatoes look delicious, btw!!

I am a school nurse and a mother and wife of a household of allergies including, nuts, peanuts, dairy, soy and shellfish. I have used the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network as a great resource for implementing emergency care plans and meal accommodations for our students in our school district. Food allergies with life-threatening (anaphylactic) reactions are recognized as a disability by the IDEA (Americans with Disability Act) so your school is required to accommodate your child’s needs with a diet prescription from your health care provider. It took A LOT of educating but it is such a relief to know that all of our kids are able to have a safe meal provided to them at their school.

Ohhh! Forgot to mention that my husband has Celiac’s Disease so he can not have any gluten, although I have found the BEST gluten free flour! I don’t even buy wheat flour anymore because the flavor and texture with Jules Gluten Free flour is so good! I order it by the case because I have so many GFF’s (Gluten Free Friends) that use it too! Happy baking

Thanks, Mel! This recipe is actually dairy-free too, which is always wonderful for a family with dairy allergies like us! Both of my kiddos cannot have dairy and so my husband and I have gone dairy-free as well. I have turned so many of your recipes dairy-free and they’re still delicious.

Thank you! I love love love your site and recommend it to *everyone*! I am allergic to dairy, egg yolks, and aspartame. Actually, many people who are allergic to eggs are really allergic to either the yolk or the white. Many years ago I tested positive for egg allergy and then through trial and error figured out it was just the yolk, which definitely makes my life easier. I’ve made your oatmeal pancakes with soy milk or almond milk and flax seed meal with decent results (they tend to brown differently and to stick), but egg whites or EggBeaters work beautifully. I’ll be trying flax as an egg sub in the chocolate chip bars and the baked oatmeal next since we already love them with Eggbeaters!

An allergist/immunologist can provide expert medical advice and treatment in the evaluation and management of people with allergic diseases, asthma and immune problems (see above for types of patients seen). This includes the ability to perform and interpret allergy testing, expertise in treating complex allergic diseases and asthma, as well as the ability to prescribe allergen immunotherapy (allergy shots).

I used this recipe as the basis for a one-pot meal tonight! While I was microwaving the potatoes, I browned some sliced smoked turkey sausage in the skillet with onions. I took out the sausage, then went ahead with the potatoes. I threw in a red bell pepper with the garlic, then added the sausage back to heat through. Delicious! It was fast, easy, frugal, and (best of all) my husband gobbled it up!

Food allergy affects an estimated 6 to 8 percent of children under age 5, and about 3 to 4 percent of adults. While there’s no cure, some children outgrow their food allergy as they get older. It’s easy to confuse a food allergy with a much more common reaction known as food intolerance. While bothersome, food intolerance is a less serious condition that does not involve the immune system. ..`^

Mel, any tips on cooking the potatoes without a microwave? We got rid of our microwave about a year ago. I will probably try just cooking them on the stovetop with a lid on, and maybe a little butter, so I don’t have to use the oven. But if you have any pointers, that would be great. I am on a big potato kick lately. Maybe I will convert a few of the kids to potatoes with this recipe!

I just wanted to update anyone who might be interested: I made this tonight without a microwave. I started off in the skillet, and added about 1/2 tsp of salt, 2 TB of butter and 1/4 cup or so of water. I put a lid on and steamed them for about 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes to make sure they steamed evenly. They still had a slight bite. I then followed the rest of the instructions for the stovetop, but used a cast iron skillet since I don’t own a non-stick. I had way too many potatoes for a single layer since my skillet is 10 inches, so I just cooked them a bit longer. Next time I will do them in batches or reduce the recipe a bit to get the single layer. But I am very excited to have leftovers, because they were delicious!!

And thank you for an allergy-aware recipe! We are very lucky to not have major allergy issues in our house, but we love to have guests over for meals, and always need options that everyone can enjoy!

Hi Marci – I haven’t tried it with sweet potatoes. It sounds like a good idea, though! You’ll probably need to soften them a bit more in the microwave since they need longer to cook, usually, than white potatoes. I’m not sure if they will get crispy throughout but if you have a hot enough skillet, they should golden up nicely on the outside.

[…] make ahead of time and just heat up right before. I usually serve it with Strawberry Spinach Salad, these potatoes, and homemade rolls. Last night, I ran out of time and bought £1 rolls from Tesco, still delicious […]